Van filled with Boy Scouts hits boat

MOORHEAD, Minn. — A van filled with Boy Scouts from Missouri was involved in a serious accident Saturday after authorities say the driver ran a stop sign and collided with the outboard motor of a boat being pulled on a trailer by a pickup.

The accident happened just west of Bad Medicine Lake in Becker County at about 9: 19 a.m., according to a report by the Minnesota State Patrol.

The driver of the van, 47 year-old Michael Bavlsik of St. Louis, was taken by helicopter to Essentia Health in Fargo. He’s in serious condition.

Bavlsik had 10 passengers in the van, nine of them Boy Scouts. None were seriously injured. Both the van and boat were totaled. The van flipped during the accident, and Bavlsik had to be extricated from the vehicle by authorities.

The driver of the truck, Anthony Friehler, 37, and his passengers — Jeremy Lieser, 25, and Kurt Friehler, 41, all of whom are from Painesville, Minn. — were not hurt.

Tags: news, accident, minnesota